Few things are more satisfying on a cold winter's day than a steaming-hot bowl of broth. Some are more exciting than others; unless you're sick at home, few of us are getting worked up over a cup of chicken noodle. Ramen, the dorm room staple, on the other hand, has now reached a level of popularity that was once unimaginable. With new ramen joints sprouting up across the city on a near daily basis, though, it's hard to determine which ones are worth the two-hour-plus waits. We've scoured the city to find the ten best ramens in NYC.

This week's column is a run-through of personal observations and highlights from a year in which the limits of my diet were stretched as much as the elastic waistband on my dungarees. Of all the things carried by hand, fork, spoon, or knife (I eat dangerously), these were the most memorable foodstuffs that entered this discerning gullet.

Always looking for an excuse to party, the astronomically inclined people of Earth recently celebrated another equinox. In the aftermath, many folks anticipate the changing hue of the falling leaves. Others toil under the rapidly diminishing daylight, raking away said leaves. But if the only seasonally affected vegetation concerning you is the particular combination of malt and hops in your pint glass, this is the most relevant list you'll read, ever. Until winter. If you're expecting an avalanche of pumpkin-spiced suds here, shatter those expectations. You and I have been through that. It's boring, yeah? Here's what's new and next in New York's autumn craft scene...

Someplace in Bushwick, right? Vote on that topic of massive cultural weight and 36 other Food & Drink categories in our annual Best of NYC® readers' poll, part of a sprawling 90-category survey we conduct each year about this time to gauge the best of the five boroughs that year.

Each New Yorker has his or her own remedy for the stinking, thick blanket of heat that covers the city all summer. Some go for weekend getaways along the New England coastline. Others opt rely on what may as well be an IV drip of cold brew coffee and air-conditioned hermit lifestyles. Still others venture across the city's dining rooms and patios searching for a boozy, frosted-glass remedy to curb the suffering. We raise a glass to that group -- and offer a list of suggestions. These are the 10 best summer cocktails in NYC.

The pastrami sandwich at Katz's Deli, one of the best restaurants on the LES

Gentrification has been pretty thorough in the traditional immigrant stronghold of the Lower East Side, and for proof, you need only to look at the restaurants--trendy spots usurp long-held leases here all the time. But despite all the turnover that's happened in the last decade or so, several old joints have still hung on, making this an area with diverse culinary options. Herewith, the ten best restaurants on the Lower East Side, which run the gamut from a cheap Chinese canteen to a brand new locavore spot.

The best sushi transcends the sum of its parts, achieving self-evidence by way of pure ingredients and honest process. Whether it's meticulous, traditional edomae-style, or a modernized, experimental take, New Yorkers are fortunate to have some of the best seafood available--even if much of it comes with a Gulliver-sized carbon footprint and prices to match (some restaurants attempt to offset these offerings with local, sustainable options). Arguments abound as to the superiority of a particular style, but wherever your allegiances lie, sushi in New York is as diverse a cuisine as the city itself. Every bite is a promise; a dream that we too can be Jiros, even if just for one day (or perhaps twice in one day if you're Jeremy Piven). Here are our favorites.

At this point, the farm-to-table-buzzword craze has largely subsided, and restaurateurs and chefs finding ways to thoroughly integrate the locavore ethic into their kitchens is not so much an exception as it is a rule. Still, there's a difference between adding a few token Greenmarket ingredients to the menu and pushing the envelop when it comes to local sourcing, and some restaurants are working faster and going further to get produce from area farmers and give diners the freshest possible experience. Here are the 10 best real farm-to-table restaurants in NYC.

The go-go yogurt craze (thankfully not the Go-Gurt craze) of the mid-'00s still hangs on, but like a double scoop of freedom with a patriotism swirl, ice cream is back on top. It's hard to find a more satisfying sweet treat in so simple a package, and once mix-ins get involved, a single scoop is often a better choice than some fully plated desserts. If barbecue is summer's savory calling, then ice cream is surely its sweet. Here are the 10 best in NYC.

Long before David Hasselhoff became a Teutonic favorite, Germany gave us the cooked-meat puck known as the hamburger, and we think it's safe to say we came away the victors in that cultural trade-off. Yes, the hamburger is America's sandwich, and as an American, it's your Xenu-given right to stuff your American maw with American ground beef cooked to the American temperature of your choice. Your definition may be rigid (beef plus bun ONLY equals burger), but burgers in this city come in all shapes, sizes, and combinations, and each iteration probably deserves its own list. For our purposes, we're focusing on the best of beef, though lamb does get an honorable mention. Here are the 10 best burgers in NYC, which you might try eating Hasselhoff-style: on the floor while disappointing your family.